#1 Son: [without preamble] I need to go buy chains right after work today. Some scary $#!* happened on the way over here.

Mom: Are you OK?

#1 Son:Yes, I’m fine. But it was really scary $#!* – really scary!

Mom: I worry about you driving over the bridges.

#1 Son:The bridges were fine. No problem across the bridge. But Hawthorne is really sketch. Really scary. I’m still sort of stressed out. But slow and steady wins the race and all that. But I think I really need to get chains.

Mom: I agree! Chains would be a very good thing! Call first before you go to the store to make sure they have them in stock.

#1 Son:Good point. Did you know that they’ve declared a state of emergency here?

Mom: Yes. It’s pretty dicey out here, too. The roads around me haven’t been plowed and it’s really bad. I don’t want you coming up here if it’s like this tomorrow. It’s not worth it, even if it is Christmas. We’ll just have Christmas later.

#1 Son:You’re right. I agree.

Mom [somewhat surprised by #1 Son’s ready agreement not to come on Christmas after several previous conversations where horrible driving conditions were dismissed as not really that bad]: How about New Year’s? Are you off that day? We can just have Christmas on New Years!

RIght now as I look outside it’s raining lightly and the snow is starting to melt. But there’s so much of it, I can’t believe that it will all be melted before it starts to freeze again tonight, especially with the layers of ice. And there might be more snow tomorrow above 500 ft. For me, that means that someone somewhere will flip a coin to decide if I’m going to get snow or not. Friday we’re supposed to be back to just rain. Thank goodness.

I’m not sure who ordered the record snowfall for a white Christmas here in Portland. But… let’s not do this again, eh?

Remarks:

Good luck. There’s nothing quite like real winter in an area that doesn’t know how to deal with it properly. Merry Christmas and stay safe!